Tag: Chadwick Boseman

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The 2021 Oscars Were Built Around Chadwick Boseman Winning Best Actor Award, And Then He Didn’t

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Well, after being delayed a couple months due to the coronavirus, the 2021 Oscars went down on Sunday night (April 25) and for the most part…they worked? I guess. They switched up the location and once again worked without a host.

But most notably, they switched up the rotation of the awards. They started things out with Best Screenplay, which they never do, and then decided to end the entire ceremony with Best Actor instead of Best Picture.

Why did they do this? At first it seemed like such a bizarre move, but then when you think about, you realize the director/producers of the show were building the entire ceremony around the late Chadwick Boseman winning Best Actor.

They were hoping to end with an emotional/moving moment, but instead, the Best Actor award went to Anthony Hopkins for his brilliant performance in The Father.

To make matters even worse, Hopkins wasn’t even in attendance, so the show ended with the Academy accepting the award for him. It was super awkward and made for a lackluster ending.

And understandably, some people were upset. They felt robbed. The show was building for this moment, and then nothing. But it’s important to note here that the Academy itself isn’t necessarily to blame.

Only two people (I believe?) are supposed to know the winners beforehand, and the director of the show is not one of them, which means the director gambled, and it did not pay off. This mistake is on him.

It’s also important to note that Hopkins absolutely deserved the win. Not saying Boseman didn’t, but both statements can be true. If you haven’t watched The Father, Hopkins gave what might be the best performance of his career. It’s a shame this is how it’ll be rememberd.

Speaking of Hopkins, he made a video to accept his award, and to pay tribute to Boseman. He’s a class act.

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Sienna Miller Talks About How The Late Chadwick Boseman Took A Pay Cut To Increase Her Salary

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When ‘Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman died, dozens of celebrities went on their social media accounts to pay tribute and share memories of the late actor.

In a new interview, actress Sienna Miller talked about working with Boseman on 21 Bridges. She revealed that he took a pay cut for her to get an increase in her salary.

He produced 21 Bridges and had been really active in trying to get me to do it. He was a fan of my work, which was thrilling, because it was reciprocated from me to him, tenfold. So he approached me to do it, he offered me this film, and it was at a time when I really didn’t want to work anymore.

This was a pretty big budget film, and I know that everybody understands about the pay disparity in Hollywood, but I asked for a number that the studio wouldn’t get to. And Chadwick ended up donating some of his salary to get me to the number that I had asked for. He said that that was what I deserved to be paid.

She went on to talk about how those things don’t usually happen in Hollywood.

It’s just unfathomable to imagine another man in that town behaving that graciously or respectfully. In the aftermath of this I’ve told other male actor friends of mine that story and they all go very, very quiet and go home and probably have to sit and think about things for a while.

This is not a surprise. Boseman seemed liked a genuinely good guy and I think the world is better now that he was in it.

And hopefully his memory and stories like this will continue to change the world.

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Michael B. Jordan Writes Touching Tribute To Co-Star Chadwick Boseman

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The world lost a truly wonderful soul last Friday in Chadwick Boseman. The ‘Black Panther’ star privately battled colon cancer for four years. He was just 43-years-old.

Several celebrities have paid tribute to Boseman, including ‘Black Panther’ director, Ryan Coogler. If you haven’t read his tribute, click on this link to check it out.

This past weekend, Michael B. Jordan wrote his own tribute. Jordan co-starred in ‘Black Panther’ alongside Boseman. Jordan played the villain, Erik Killmonger.

The two actors knew each other long before they shared the screen together. In a 2018 Howard University commencement speech, Boseman said he turned down a role on ‘All My Children’ early in his career because of the stereotypical depiction of the character. Coincidentally, Jordan ended up being recast in the role when he was 16.

In Jordan’s tribute, he writes that he wishes he had more time with Boseman.

I’ve been trying to find the words, but nothing comes close to how I feel. I’ve been reflecting on every moment, every conversation, every laugh, every disagreement, every hug…everything. I wish we had more time.

Everything you’ve given the world … the legends and heroes that you’ve shown us we are … will live on forever. But the thing that hurts the most is that I now understand how much of a legend and hero YOU are.

It’s an incredibly touching tribute, and you should read the whole thing below…

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I’ve been trying to find the words, but nothing comes close to how I feel. I’ve been reflecting on every moment, every conversation, every laugh, every disagreement, every hug…everything. I wish we had more time. One of the last times we spoke, you said we were forever linked , and now the truth of that means more to me than ever. Since nearly the beginning of my career, starting with All My Children when I was 16 years old you paved the way for me. You showed me how to be better, honor purpose, and create legacy. And whether you’ve known it or not…I’ve been watching, learning and constantly motivated by your greatness. I wish we had more time. Everything you’ve given the world … the legends and heroes that you’ve shown us we are … will live on forever. But the thing that hurts the most is that I now understand how much of a legend and hero YOU are. Through it all, you never lost sight of what you loved most. You cared about your family , your friends, your craft, your spirit. You cared about the kids, the community, our culture and humanity. You cared about me. You are my big brother, but I never fully got a chance to tell you, or to truly give you your flowers while you were here. I wish we had more time. I'm more aware now than ever that time is short with people we love and admire. I’m gonna miss your honesty, your generosity, your sense of humor, and incredible gifts. I’ll miss the gift of sharing space with you in scenes. I’m dedicating the rest of my days to live the way you did. With grace, courage, and no regrets. “Is this your king!?” Yes . he . is!  Rest In Power Brother.

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Check Out Chadwick Boseman In The Thrilling Trailer For ’21 Bridges’

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Fresh off the success of ‘Black Panther‘ Chadwick Boseman has landed a starring role in the upcoming thriller ‘21 Bridges‘

Boseman plays an NYPD detective, who is “thrust into a citywide manhunt for a pair of cop killers after uncovering a massive and unexpected conspiracy.”

In addition to Boseman, 21 Bridges stars J.K. Simmons, Sienna Miller, Stephen James and Taylor Kitsch. While previewing the movie at CinemaCon, Boseman (who is also attached as a producer) talked about what attracted him to the script.

I would say that it was combination of being able to have a fast-paced action movie. When I read the script, I could tell that this was gonna be a ride, it’s a ride when you watch it. At the same time, it took me back to my theater days, where you have that fast-paced language, like David Mamet, that New York feel. I feel that this movie sort of captured that combination of things.

This movie will get a nationwide theater release on July 12, 2019. Check out the trailer below…

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‘Black Panther’ Star Chadwick Boseman Has A New Project Lined Up Titled ’17 Bridges’

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After the great success of ‘Black Panther,’ the door is wide open for Chadwick Boseman in Hollywood. He can do whatever he wants at this point.

It was reported this week that the 40-year-old actor’s next project will be the action-thriller ‘17 Bridges,‘ which is being distributed by STXfilms. Not only will he star in the movie, he’ll also act as a producer alongside Joe and Anthony Russo.

There was a bidding war for this script back in 2016. STXfilms reportedly beat out Universal, Sony and Warner Bros. Brian Kirk (Game of Thrones) has signed a deal to direct.

The story follows a disgraced NYPD detective (Boseman) who, after being pushed into a citywide manhunt for a cop killer, is given a shot at redemption.

Sounds interesting enough, right? There is certainly a lot of talented people working on this movie. It’s scheduled to begin production in September. We will keep you posted as more casting news becomes available.

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The First Full Trailer For ‘Black Panther’ Has Been Released, Watch It Inside! (VIDEO)

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Marvel has let us in and is now giving us a better look at the world of Wakanda, where T’Challa/Black Panther is the newly crowned king. The first teaser we got did a nice job of showing the conflict between T’Challa and Erik Killmonger, but this new trailer focuses more on the world of Wakanda.

Ryan Coogler directed/co-wrote this film, which is set to be released on February 16, 2018. Chadwick Boseman plays T’Challa in the movie, and Michael B. Jordan has the role of Killmonger. It’s one of the first Marvel films to feature a predominately black cast, so everyone is pretty excited about it.

In addition to Boseman and Jordan, the talented Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira also star. Check out the trailer below…

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Marvel Releases New Poster For ‘Black Panther’ Check Out The Super Cool Image Inside!

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Black Panther might be the coolest superhero out there, and that’s why we were so excited when Marvel revealed they were giving the character his own solo film.

The movie won’t be released until February 16, 2018, but the studio is ready to tease us now with the poster you see above. They released the image today, and the first teaser trailer for the movie will be released tonight during game four of the NBA finals. We’ll include the video in this post once it’s released online.

But back to this poster. It shows Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, and that’s it. They didn’t try to fit every cast member into this poster, they didn’t do anything too fancy with it. It’s simple, clean and really freaking cool.

Deadline explains what fans can expect from the movie…

“The film follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk.”

Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, and the aforementioned Boseman star in the movie. It was directed/co-written by Ryan Coogler.

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Movie Review: Captain America Civil War

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So this was probably one of the most anticipated movies of the spring, despite the fact that it was up against some intense competition, with Jungle Book and Mother’s Day being strong performers. However, I was pretty sure this one would take the number one spot, as it’s already set records outside the US. And for once, a big budget blockbuster is pleasing critics and hitting all the right notes with audiences.

And it had a lot of notes to hit.

The film opens in 1991, with a frozen Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) being thawed out for another in a series of murderous missions. One after another, the code words needed to activate the killer are spoken: “daybreak … furnace … homecoming … freight car …” Flash forward to present-day Lagos, where an Avengers squad made up of Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) is foiling the theft of a biological weapon. There’s a shit ton of casualties and it all goes downhill for the Avengers from there when they have to submit for government oversight.

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There’s a lot going on, but they managed to balance it pretty well. I never got too confused, despite a cast of what feels like millions. They go through ever doggone country in the world and tie in every other franchise that Joss Wheaton ever read a comic on, and they never stop moving. All the actors blended into their characters, and there’s a lot of characters to keep straight.

But for the most part, I still knew what was going on, because the plot’s pretty straight forward. They don’t want to deal with United Nations regulators telling them what to do, despite the wake of destruction they often leave. It doesn’t become a one sided argument, because it argues the point from both sides. I mean, when you see what they leave behind when they’re being heroic, you can kind of see the government’s point.

“Yeah, guys, you got that lady’s purse back from a mugger, but there were 45 civilian casualties and your caused $85 billion worth of damage to the city. Maybe next time, don’t start with the nuclear option?”

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It all eventually culminates in one of the best battle scenes I’ve ever seen. It should have been confusing, or too much, but it wasn’t. The direction is subtle but the action is perfectly choreographed, which is why I never felt like it was too much, when this movie should be the definition of too much. There’s a method to this madness, and I didn’t even resent the over the top ads for future movies.

The latest offering of Captain America is a misnomer, because it’s got just about every other character you can think of. But it’s extremely well-done to the point where you can follow it easily. It’s controlled chaos and worth the watch. It’s one of those rare movies that’s critic and audience approved and should not be missed.

WE GIVE IT: 4.5 STARS!

four and a half stars

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Marvel Makes Several Huge Announcements, None Of Them Including Benedict Cumberbatch

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Marvel Studios promised a huge event yesterday at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles, and they certainly delivered. They made several huge announcements during yesterday’s press event; however, none of the announcements involved Benedict Cumberbatch.

Marvel President Kevin Feige announced the names of nine films the studio will release over the next five years.

The two biggest films announced? Captain Marvel and Black Panther. Marvel fans are most excited about these two films. Black Panther, which will be released in November of 2017, will feature Marvel’s first black leading actor. Actor Chadwick Boseman, best known for his work in 42, will star as T’Challa, the African prince who becomes a superhero.

And Captain Marvel will be Marvel’s first movie featuring a female lead. It’s not expected to hit theaters until 2018, so we don’t know too much about the film. There hasn’t been any casting, but Feige did say this about the movie…

“This film has been in the works almost as long as Doctor Strange or Guardians Of The Galaxy, and one of the key things was figuring out what we wanted to do with it. Her adventures are very earthbound, but her powers are based in the cosmic realm.”

In addition to the two films listed above, Marvel also released the titles and release dates for seven other films. You can view the full list down below.

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Movie Review: Get on Up (2014)) – An Excellent Portrayal of a man who Really can’t be Replicated.

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I’m a fan of director Tate Taylor, as well as of the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. So when I learned that Taylor was directing an epic based on the musician’s life, I was excited. Luckily, I can say that I wasn’t disappointed.

Chadwick Boseman plays James Brown in Get on Up and gives us a complete, unflinching look inside the career and the amazing life story of James Brown. It takes us from his impoverished childhood, all the way to his rise to fame as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Boseman is supported by some amazing actors in this epic, including Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Nelsan Ellis, Lennie James, Tika Sumpter, Jill Scott and Dan Aykroyd.

What usually bothers me about movies based on musicians’ lives is that rarely can a director strike the right balance. Either they portray the musician as a monster, or they sugarcoat them until they are as squeaky clean as Justin Bieber’s image used to be.

This movie strikes the right balance between the two. It starts off with James Brown exploding into one of his well known fits of ego and anger, but slowly the real character of Brown starts to unravel. The story is told by frequent flashbacks, mixed with a bit of linear story-telling.

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I think the timeline is really what makes this movie brilliant. Moments of huge success in Brown’s life are immediately compared to scenes of baseness and horror. You don’t just see the things Brown did wrong. You start to understand what made him the way he was.

Get on Up is a movie based on contrast, and is aptly named. You might see Brown fail on occasional, but he always returns to triumph.

I don’t know how realistic any of this was or if they stuck to the true story of James Brown’s life, but they seem to have captured him as a character. If there was one thing James Brown was, it was intense, and this is an intense movie. Taylor was the ideal person to direct this movie, as he seems to enjoy playing with contrasts and this movie is all contrast.

Of course, the movie doesn’t skimp on the music and there is plenty of opportunity to enjoy many of Brown’s most iconic songs.

I was extremely impressed with Boseman, who seemed to have the majority of the icon’s moves and mannerisms down. Though he didn’t have Brown’s frantic energy, I doubt anyone could replicate that. All in all, he created an excellent portrayal of a man who really can’t be replicated.

Sometimes the back and forth can get a bit confusing, but I think the back and forth was a necessary part of the movie. Watching this story in a linear format might make it difficult to stay with, as Brown really had a harsh upbringing and viewed all at once, that might be a bit of a downer.

This was yet another excellent film by Tate Taylor and the best I’ve seen Boseman since his stint as Jackie Robinson in 42. If you’re interested in the life of the legend James Brown, then this movie is absolutely worth the watch.

WE GAVE IT: 4.5  Stars: Official Movie Trailer and Movie Poster Below

four and a half stars

 

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